Flowers rewarded with another start as Braves keep same lineup for finale

After driving in the majority of the Braves’ runs in last night’s victory, Tyler Flowers is back in the lineup and starting at catcher again for the Braves.

This is only the third time all season that Flowers has drawn consecutive starts behind the dish. The only time this season he’s even appeared in a game on consecutive days has been a five-day stretch between May 25 and May 29, but he served as the Designated Hitter on the 26th in Boston, therefore making May 27-May 28-May 29 the only two times he’s started on consecutive days... until now. Even more remarkably, he is back in there at catcher in a quick turnaround affair (day game after a night game), something teams don’t usually do with their backstops.

(Flowers has also never started in two consecutive games around an off-day aside from the stretch noted above.)

Essentially none of the Braves’ hitters have any real experience against Ross Stripling. Flowers is 1-for-1 against him, and Nick Markakis has seen him the most, with a paltry four at-bats. The Braves knocked Stripling out early in his only career start against them (it was his third career start; three and two-thirds, two runs). He also made three relief appearances against them last year, allowing two runs in five and a third in total.

Here’s how the Dodgers line up as they try to climb back over the .500 mark again.

Cody Bellinger (0-for-6) and Chris Taylor (3-for-6, homer) have seen Newcomb the most, but again, there’s not much experience here. Newcomb faced the Dodgers twice last year: a six inning, three-run outing in Los Angeles, and then an outing where he failed to get out of the fifth and allowed three runs (with a 7/7 K/BB ratio) in Atlanta.

Go go gadget Baseball Savant matchup graphic!